Master secures Percival's unwitting consent

With Benton temporarily lured away and out of earshot, the Master pivots to his next pawn within the Newton Institute. Dr. Percival, already under subtle influence, voices his astonishment as the hypnosis takes hold, confirming the success of the experiment. The Master quickly seizes control of the situation, tasking Percival with checking their escape route—exposing the vulnerability of the scientist’s loyalty before it fully hardens into complicity. This moment forges the partnership that will accelerate the Master’s plan, binding a rational man to a monstrous endgame.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

The Master proceeds with his plan, explaining to Percival that he needs someone to help harness Kronos's power.

determination to anticipation ['laboratory']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3

Controlled triumph masking underlying impatience for the scheme’s next stage

The Master, still holding the telephone receiver, exudes cold confidence as he verifies Percival’s hypnotic conditioning. His measured tone and clipped commands reveal a puppeteer testing the durability of his strings.

Goals in this moment
  • Consolidate Percival's hypnotic obedience into active complicity
  • Verify the absence of interference before proceeding
Active beliefs
  • Absolute power ensures flawless execution of his plans
  • Institutional personnel are easily manipulated under pressure
Character traits
calculating manipulative authoritative precise
Follow The Master's journey

A mix of awe and eager validation of the Master’s power

Dr. Percival, concealed from Benton, emerges as a willing mouthpiece for the Master’s design. His astonishment reveals the hypnotic hold, and his compliance channels that control into action.

Goals in this moment
  • Prove the hypnosis was effective by confirming Benton’s departure
  • Carry out the Master’s orders to ensure the escape route is clear
Active beliefs
  • The Master’s authority is beyond reproach
  • Scientific detachment must yield to the Master’s vision
Character traits
impressionable surprised compliant eager_to_please
Follow George Trenchard's journey
Supporting 1

Neutral obedience, unaware of the deception

Sergeant Benton, prompted by the fake Brigadier, exits via the laboratory window under orders. His mechanically obedient exit leaves the way clear for the Master’s next move.

Goals in this moment
  • Execute the orders received from superior authority
  • Complete the task and affirm the Brigadier’s instructions
Active beliefs
  • Chain of command must be respected without question
  • Military protocol ensures correctness in action
Character traits
obedient efficient unquestioning
Follow Benton's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

3
Director's Office Sash Window (Concealment Access Point)

The sash window in the Director’s Office provides Benton’s egress route from the lab. It stands open a few inches as he exits, marking the transition from controlled space to vulnerability.

Before: Closed window separating office from laboratory corridor
After: Slightly raised six inches, allowing Benton to exit …
Before: Closed window separating office from laboratory corridor
After: Slightly raised six inches, allowing Benton to exit unseen by others in the lab
Hart's Naval Office Telephone

The naval telephone in the Director’s Office serves as the conduit for the Master’s deception. Through it, he mimics the Brigadier’s voice to issue false orders to Benton, undermining institutional trust in communication channels.

Before: Idle and functional in the Director’s Office, recent …
After: Discarded or placed down after the exchange, its …
Before: Idle and functional in the Director’s Office, recent use evidenced by the Master holding the receiver
After: Discarded or placed down after the exchange, its role in deception now fulfilled
UNIT Staff Car 'Bessie' (Super Drive Variant)

UNIT’s staff car Bessie remains stationed outside the institute. Though not physically present in the scene, its proximity underscores the military framework being infiltrated, contrasting with the Master’s psychic manipulation.

Before: Idling outside the Newton Institute, engine running as …
After: Engine silent after Benton’s hasty exit, now awaiting …
Before: Idling outside the Newton Institute, engine running as Benton prepares to depart
After: Engine silent after Benton’s hasty exit, now awaiting a higher strategic use

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

2
Newton Institute Radiation Laboratory

The laboratory’s main testing area lies abandoned as Benton exits. Its sterile machinery and monitor-laden desks stand silent, now exposed to the Master’s unseen influence as Percival acts on hypnotic orders.

Atmosphere Abandoned yet humming with latent danger, the air thick with the scent of ozone and …
Function Abandoned scientific space now serving as a passive stage for coercion
Symbolism Symbolizes institutional failure and the ease with which scientific detachment crumbles under psychological pressure
Access Officially secured for the experiment, but effectively unguarded due to Benton’s departure
Stainless steel workbenches with data cables snaking across them Fluorescent lights reflecting off blinded monitors
Global Chemicals Surveillance Office

The Director’s Office functions as the Master’s temporary command center. Within its polished, bureaucratic shell, he orchestrates manipulation and confirms control, turning institutional space into a theater of deception.

Atmosphere Quiet, smoke-laden, and oppressive—an unlikely setting for villainous scheming where every object and sound contributes …
Function Private command post enabling psychological and operational manoeuvring
Symbolism Represents the vulnerability of institutional spaces to external manipulation
Access Private office, accessible only to authorized personnel—now compromised by the Master’s presence
Brass desk lamp casting focused light on the desk telephone Cigarette smoke curling from an overflowing ashtray

Organizations Involved

Institutional presence and influence

1
UNIT Global Command Unit (Strategic Intelligence Taskforce)

UNIT’s institutional authority is eroded as the Master exploits its command hierarchy through forged orders. The organization is represented through Benton’s enforced obedience and the misappropriation of its communication protocols.

Representation Through a UNIT sergeant dutifully following false orders via naval telephone, exposing systemic trust in …
Power Dynamics Military chain of command is weaponized from within by a force exploiting psychological control, inverting …
Impact This event exposes a critical vulnerability in UNIT’s command structure: reliance on audible verification in …
Internal Dynamics The event tests the organization’s ability to detect and resist external psychological manipulation, with Benton’s …
Maintain operational security and control over the Newton Institute and its temporal experiments Ensure compliance with legitimate command orders across its personnel Use of falsified orders delivered via institutional telephone systems to override local authority Exploitation of personnel’s default deference to superior rank

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 5

"Benton’s receipt of the fake call to leave his post sets up his clever re-entry via the window, demonstrating his resourcefulness in outsmarting the Master."

Benton questions suspicious order to leave
S9E22 · The Time Monster Part 2

"The Master’s use of a distraction ('Doctor!') to disarm Benton directly causes his incapacitation, allowing the Master to proceed unopposed with his plan."

Benton confronts Masters chronal theft
S9E22 · The Time Monster Part 2

"The Master’s use of a distraction ('Doctor!') to disarm Benton directly causes his incapacitation, allowing the Master to proceed unopposed with his plan."

Master disarms Benton and seizes control
S9E22 · The Time Monster Part 2

"The Master’s use of a distraction ('Doctor!') to disarm Benton directly causes his incapacitation, allowing the Master to proceed unopposed with his plan."

Master uses Benton's capture to power TOM-TIT
S9E22 · The Time Monster Part 2

"Krasis’s arrival via lightning flash foreshadows the impending temporal catastrophe the Master is orchestrating, linking the ancient ritual to the lab’s escalating threat."

Krasis summons Kronos with forbidden ritual
S9E22 · The Time Monster Part 2
What this causes 3

"Benton’s hidden re-entry leads directly to his confrontation with a drawn pistol, forcing the Master to escalate his tactics to regain control."

Benton confronts Masters chronal theft
S9E22 · The Time Monster Part 2

"Benton’s hidden re-entry leads directly to his confrontation with a drawn pistol, forcing the Master to escalate his tactics to regain control."

Master disarms Benton and seizes control
S9E22 · The Time Monster Part 2

"Benton’s hidden re-entry leads directly to his confrontation with a drawn pistol, forcing the Master to escalate his tactics to regain control."

Master uses Benton's capture to power TOM-TIT
S9E22 · The Time Monster Part 2

Part of Larger Arcs

Key Dialogue

"PERCIVAL: It worked! It really worked!"
"MASTER: Of course it worked. Now see if the corridor's clear."